Avoiding Fleas While Staying Warm in Winter

With winter rounding into form, homeowners are naturally concerned about several heating and air elements. You want the inside of a home to be comfortable and safe from the elements, and you want to achieve this without an inordinately high utility bill.

At All Hours Plumbing, Heating & Air, our heating and AC services are just the thing to assist you. Apart from assisting you with basic inspections and tune-ups for your furnace and other heating elements, we can help with one underplayed risk that comes with a home that’s too warm: A flea invasion. Especially if you have pets like cats or dogs, you may not have realized how large a risk fleas can be this time of year. Here are some basics to know.

How Fleas Thrive

There are two factors that lead to fleas breeding and thriving: Heat and humidity. The warmer temperatures get, the higher the chances of fleas being present – they can survive in temperatures ranging from 70 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

While high humidity isn’t a huge concern for Utahns who are outdoors, it absolutely can be inside. Some homes have humidifiers or other conditions that lead to highly humid rooms or areas, and when combined with high heat and the presence of flea-drawing pets like dogs or cats, the risk of an infestation can go way up for these homes.

Tips for Avoiding Fleas

Some basic advice we can offer on avoiding a flea infestation before it ever gets started this winter:

• Early pet treatments: If you have dogs or cats, treat them with approved anti-flea products or sprays in advance of winter arriving. This ensures your pets won’t carry fleas into the home from outside and stops the issue from arising to begin with.
• Pets and sleeping: You may love to allow your pup to sleep in the bed with you, but this kind of activity promotes the spread of fleas from pets to humans. If your dog has had even minor recent flea issues, or even if not, we recommend avoiding this practice.
• Carpets: Fleas will often make their homes in soft upholstery areas, including rugs and nearby furniture. You should both clean these areas regularly and teach any pets you have to avoid rolling around or playing in these areas.
• Thermostat: As we noted above, fleas are best suited in temperatures above 70 degrees. For this reason, we recommend lowering you thermostat below this level, particularly when leaving the house for long stretches at a time. In addition, consider a smart thermostat option that allows you to alter home temperatures from anywhere using your smartphone.

For more on how to avoid flea issues in your home this winter, or to learn about any of our HVAC or plumbing services, speak to the pros at All Hours Plumbing, Heating & Air today.